News note

UNICEF urgently responds to Haiti cholera outbreak

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI, October 22, 2010 – UNICEF and its partners are working with urgency on the ground, responding to a recent outbreak of cholera in Haiti’s rural-central region of Artibonite.

The outbreak, which has so far killed 135 people and sickened about 1,504 people, has been linked to a nearby contaminated river called Artibonite. An estimated 150,000 people live in the affected areas along this river. UNICEF’s Chief of Health, Dr. Jean-Claude Mubalama, says the origin of the outbreak remains unknown and is being investigated by the World Health Organization and the US Center for Disease Control.

Reported symptoms include severe and profuse diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pains. “Children under the age of five are especially vulnerable to cholera because they get dehydrated more quickly, that is why it is so crucial to get them to hospitals rapidly and this has been a challenge,” says Dr Mubalama. Local health authorities say the deaths typically occur within 3 to 4 hours of the symptoms, particularly at community levels.

“The problem is that often times, local affected populations are unfamiliar with this disease and therefore they do not reach hospitals in time,” explains Dr. Mubalama, adding that this is the first time the disease has appeared in Haiti for over a century.

UNICEF quickly dispatched specialized water and sanitation, health, and logistics teams to help efforts on the ground. In order to help manage and contain the spread of the outbreak, UNICEF teams are conducting assessments and advising on patient isolation and management of treatment as well as training of the local staff who are unfamiliar with this disease. Along with its partners, UNICEF’s water and sanitation teams have been coordinating assessments to develop action plans in chlorinating wells and intensifying hand washing with soap promotions.

UNICEF and its partners have also been distributing vital supplies such as Oral Rehydration Salts, IVF, antibiotics and water purification chemicals. Six UNICEF trucks left Port-au-Prince yesterday, carrying additional emergency disease outbreak supplies to complement existing pre-positioned stocks. The trucks’ load included 2,500 Adult Hygiene Kits (each serving 5 people), thousands of bars of soap and buckets, 50,000 water purification tablets, 25,000 plastic mats and 5 tents to support health centres that are struggling to cope with over-capacity because of the influx of patients.

Meanwhile, steps are being taken to ensure the disease does not spread further. There are fears the outbreak could reach the heavily populated camps of earthquake survivors around Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince. UNICEF is getting ready to circulate prevention messages to help raise awareness. Information and communication is crucial to rapidly and effectively stop the spread of the disease.

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About UNICEFUNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org